A Long Way From Home//Carl Grimes

Chapter 11 - Tough Times

*flashback to the start*

"Hey Cass?"
"Yeah dad?"
"Can you please get your mother some water? She isn't feeling well."
"Yeah!"
I'm only 11, but I love to help out around the house. I run over to the cabinet and grab a glass. Then I run over to the faucet and pour some water into it.
"Thank you sweetheart." My dad says kissing my forehead.
"You better get on the bus!" My dad adds and I nod. I sprint out the door with my backpack and wait for the bus to come pick me up.

*later on that night*

"Are you feeling better mom?" I ask my mother.
"Yes I am actually!"
"That's great!" I say excitedly. I run over to the living room couch and jump onto it. Suddenly, I hear a huge 'boom' sound. Like a gunshot.
"Daddy?" I ask. He comes running out into the living room and looks out the window. He quickly closes the curtains.
"Cass? Can you please go pack some clothes and other things in a bag and help your brother do the same?"
"Yeah, dad." I walk up the stairs, but before I reach the top, I hear my dad call someone.
"Make sure they're safe."
"Yeah"
"Alright"
"We'll try and find you."
"Jason, Kat, Becca? I love you kids. Daddy's going to find you soon okay? I love you." And with that he hung up the phone. I ran up the rest of the stairs and start packing for whatever lies ahead.

*present time*

I wake up in my familiar apartment. I hear a pounding on my door.
"Cassie! We need you! Now!" I rush to my feet. I grab my jacket and lace up my boots. I whip open my door and there stands Matt.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Someone left the gates open. There are walkers everywhere."
Who could have done this? I sprint outside and start killing the dead. Most people are hidden inside their houses instead of helping. These people are weak. Very, very weak. No one knows how to fight. After 15 minutes, all the walkers are gone. I look down and see that I'm drenched in walker blood. I almost forgot about walkers. We've been so secluded from the outside world. Then I see Matt holding his neck. He moves his hand away and there's a huge chunk of his neck missing. I feel my heart snap into a billion pieces.
"Matt, n-no." I manage to whimper. He falls to the ground and I sprint over to him. I hold his cold body in my arms.
"P-please don't leave me. Please." I beg him.
"You're going to live. Cass, you'll make it. I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't live with you, but everything happens for a reason. Make sure Carl treats you right. Make the right decisions. Protect yourself. I love you Cass." He chokes out quickly.
"I-I love you too." I say as the tears come out of my eyes like a waterfall. All I feel is anger, sadness and pain fill within me. Suddenly, his eyes close and his breathing stops.
"Matt? M-Matt?" I ask. I start to shake him, but he doesn't move. All the color fades from his face. I pull his body closer and cry. Why? Why does this have to happen?
"Cass?" I hear Carl yell from somewhere.
"Are you okay?" He asks me.
"Does it look like I'm freaking okay, Carl?"
"I just.."
"You all are weak! You need to learn how to kill these monsters! It's like I'm the mother around here protecting her children. You need to become strong and brave. You won't always have me to protect you in this cruel world!" I scream out. I'm full of anger. They all need to learn and whoever left that gate open will pay. I hear a growl below me. I look down to see Matt's-I mean the monster's eyes glare up at me. Carl walks over and stabs the walker in the brain.

*Carl's pov*

I walk over and stab Matt's body in the head. The look that Cass gives me afterwards is horrible. Her eyes aren't the normal attention-grabbing blue. They're a sea of black.
"Cass, I-I'm sorry." I say in almost a whisper. She gets up and she's furious.
"We can't keep living like this. Losing the people we love, grieving, feeling better, and then having it happen all over again." She whispers back. I don't really know what to say. She's right.
"I need a break. Take orders from Rick until further notice." She yells out to the crowd of people.

*Cassie's pov*

I start walking to my apartment. I'm covered in blood, I'm weak, and I'm tired. I hear footsteps behind me so I whip around.
"What do you want?" I ask. My voice sounds cold, no emotion in it.
"I'm your boyfriend. It's my job." Carl says.
"I just need to be alone." I snap at him. It's true. The pain is eating at me.
"Please, just...leave me alone." I say again quietly. He nods and walks away. I quickly run into my apartment. As soon as the door closes, my knees become weak and I slide down the door. Once I hit the ground I put my head into my knees and sob. I've lost everyone. The rest of my family is probably dead too. I have no one. This is such a horrible life.
"Is this what you want? Do you want to see me suffer?" I scream to no one. I yell it into the air and then I put my head in my hands. I feel broken inside. I will never forgive who did this. I'll kill them myself. For the longest time, my mind has been getting darker. This is what a cruel world does. It eats at you, little by little, and then it consumes you. You become nothing but darkness. That's exactly where I'm headed. But what I didn't realize is that Carl is my light. He helps me through the darkness. I need him. I need him so bad. If he were to ever leave me, I would be ruined. I wipe my eyes and I open the door to see Carl sitting there.
"I need you." I say. It hurts to talk from all my crying. He opens his arms and I gladly run into them. I sob into his shoulder.
"You're okay. Everything will be fine." He says into my ear. I just stay silent, unable to say anything. The tears that spill from my eyes are all of my emotions over the past year. Losing my parents, James, Becca, and now Matt has been so hard.
"I couldn't protect any of them." I say between sobs.
"Who?"
"My parents. James. Becca. Matt." I manage to choke out. It hurts so bad. It feels like I have a pressure on my chest. Carl pulls me even closer.
"We'll be okay." He says again. I cry for long enough that I start to feel a wave of exhaustion come over me. I don't know when, but I fall asleep in Carl's arms.

*Carl's pov*

Suddenly, Cassie's sobs stop and I feel her breathing slow. She fell asleep. I pick up her small body and carry her back inside her apartment. I lay her onto her bed and I lay down next to her. I wrap my arms around her body and pull her close. Words cannot describe how much I love her. She is my reason to live today. Without her, I would be nothing. I would be the leader's son. I would be the child. I would be the weak one. But, instead, I am Carl. I'm strong and brave. I'm a fighter.

~

Sorry that I write such short chapters. I just like to update more often. Thank you all for over 200 reads! That's CRAZY! I love you all! ~Lilly